Electronic devices communicate with each other through connectors. For example, a printed circuit board (PCB) can have a multi-pin connector that is soldered to the board. The connector can interface with a cable so that each exposed conductor in the cable can electrically couple with each pin in the connector. The electronic device can communicate through the connector and cable by sending and receiving signals through the pins and conductors. The connector is typically keyed so the cable cannot be installed backwards into the connector. Sometimes, instead of a cable, the PCB can be coupled directly to another PCB. For example, input/output (I/O) devices with integrated displays and keyboards are sometimes coupled to processor boards through a mating pair connector. Similar to the connector to cable arrangement, each pin in the mating pair connector are uniquely paired with another pin in the connector.
The connectors on the PCB have pin assignments. That is, each pin in the connectors on the PCB is assigned to a specific signal. The assignments can include signals that, for example, provide+5 VDC to an I/O device, receive data from the I/O to the processor board (typically denoted as ‘DATA’), interrupt a transmission through the connector, etc. To ensure interoperability of various PCBs, many standards, such as the RS-232 standard, have been developed that specify which pin in the connector is allocated to a particular signal. Although some of the standards do not assign all of the pins to a signal, such unassigned pins are oftentimes used for a proprietarysignal. As a result, some connectors are not compatible even if in technical compliance with a standard.
General purpose input and output (GPIO) connectors are also employed in many electronic devices. These connectors are able to interface with peripheral devices over several different standards. However, the connectors, due to interfacing with the different standards, are usually large and bulky and must be designed into the product. For example, a few pins might be assigned exclusively to the USB protocol whereas the other pins are assigned to SCSI or PCM protocols. Also, the GPIO connectors rely on the standards with known pin assignments rather than proprietary pin assignments that are associated with particular electronic devices.
Many PCBs employ connectors with wholly proprietary pin assignments. Concerns such as space, costs, form factor constraints, weight, licensing considerations, and minimum data rates can induce manufacturers to use proprietary pin assignments. For example, a company may develop a unique pin assignment for a custom processor board that must fit within a confined space in a product. Commonly available boards with GPIO or industry standard connectors might be too costly or too large to fit within the product. Accordingly, companies have developed proprietary pin assignments that fully utilized all of the pins on small connectors.
The connectors with such proprietary pin assignments are sometimes used between devicesthat requireupgrades or replacements. For example, a processor board with a proprietary pin assignment to an I/O connector may not be a candidate for an upgrade due to the customer's reliance on the board's processor version. However, the I/O device coupled to the I/O connector might be upgraded due to technological progress in sensors. For example, infrared buttons might be replaced by capacitive touch buttons if the capacitive touch buttons are less expensive or more reliable for a particular application.
These upgrades may require different pin assignments to work properly with the processor boards. However, the connectors have pins already assigned for a particular type of accessory. Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and a method of reconfiguring pin assignments on a connector.